Prairie Sun Recording Studios   Cotati, California

Control Room
From: Geoff Tanner of Phoenix Audio
Subject: Neve console story . . . Posted on "Deja News"

I've spent the last week at Prairie Sun Recording where they have a beautiful old Custom Neve. There was duff info regarding what sort of console it was. Mooka had been told it was an 8026... Not a chance! There are soooo many Neves around labeled 80** that I'm going to do a posting listing all their details to cancel out all this B.S. Over 70% of Neve's production was custom! You just can't stick any old type number on these boards... just be proud they are Classic Custom Consoles!

I'd seen this console previously. It was in pretty good shape. 26 channel, 8 bus and 24 track metering. But someone attempted a very shoddy upgrade, replaceing the original 8T meter panel with a (non fitting) 32T meter panel with tiny meters and UNBALANCED IC based meter driver amps. It wasn't connected to anything in a functional way and has endeded up where it belongs... in the trash!

The reed matrix switching system had also been massacred with vast amounts of wiring cut away, many of the remaining card connectors cracked, and a number of the BA230 cards missing... hardly indicative of careful craftsmanship for a console in working order. The upgrade was a definite no no and the console was in desperate need of serious TLC.

Fortunately, Mooka knew the right guys to talk to, and the task was undertaken by Gary Creller of the Transparent Audio Group... with advice, circuits drawn from memory, and console commissioning by yours truly.

What a difference that made! The console now boasts a new 24 track meter panel with Sifam 32F meters along the full console width and a further 8 track 32F meter panel below to look after the Bus O/P's, etc. The reed matrix has been completely rewired back to its original layout and all the broken connectors replaced. A switch has been added to link busses 7 and 8 to 4 track 1 and 2, and all functions of the desk have been restored back to working order.

Over on the right hand table of the console is a new TT patch bay and, Gary, I've got to take my hat off to you, that is the most fantastic quality wiring I have seen in a very long time! Beeeeautiful!!!!

Bottom line is that Prairie Sun Recording now have a beautifully restored custom Neve with 26 channels of classic 1064 equalizers (12" high version of a 1073). Next on the list of the tasks will be to add more channels and this is already on the agenda.

Geoff Tanner . . . Wed, Oct 1, 1997 15:23 EDT